Summertime Foot Care

With warm, summer days encouraging hiking, sightseeing and hanging out at the beach or by the pool, your feet are working overtime – and, with sandals and flip-flops, they’re at the mercy of the elements!

Here are nine tips for keeping your feet healthy and sandal-ready all summer long.

1. Keep your shoes on. Going shoeless is one of the joys of summer, but be cautious. Sharp stones bruise bare feet, and stepping on rusty metal can let you in for a tetanus shot, so avoid doing outdoor chores while barefoot. When visiting a public pool or using a community shower, be sure to wear flip-flops to prevent athlete’s foot and other conditions.

2. Keep feet clean & dry. Sweaty feet can leave you feeling hot and tired, and moisture puts you at risk for fungal infections. Wash your feet as often as necessary and dry them thoroughly. Dust them with foot powder before you put your shoes on – choose an anti-fungal or fresh-smelling variety. Avoid wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row so they’ll have time to dry before you wear them again. Wear acrylic, moisture-wicking socks, and change them when they become damp.

3. Moisturize. Between high temperatures, sun exposure, extra washing, and salt or chlorinated water, it’s easy for feet to develop dry skin and cracked heels. Moisturize your feet with a good cream or lotion, but avoid applying it between your toes. This can cause a moisture build-up that will encourage a fungal infection.

4. Treat your feet to a massage. If you do a lot of walking, relax your feet with a professional foot massage every few weeks. There’s nothing like a foot massage to ease foot cramps and refresh, revitalize and restore sore, tired feet. It’s a great way to relieve stress, too!

5. Make sure your shoes fit. Those sandals might be cute, but that doesn’t mean they’re comfortable! To avoid calluses and blisters, wear shoes that aren’t too tight or too loose, and be sure they don’t rub anywhere. If you’re going to be doing a lot of walking, avoid sandals or flip-flops that put a strap between your toes.

6. Take a walk. The best exercise for keeping feet in shape is walking. When you get back from a particularly long walk or hike, soak your feet in tepid water for a few minutes, then elevate them to encourage circulation.

7. Let feet “breathe.” To help them stay dry, feet should be exposed to the air as much as possible when the weather is hot and humid. Sandals, flip-flops and open-toed shoes help give feet a chance to breathe.

8. Beautify feet with a pedicure. Worried that calluses and dry patches will take away from the effect of your adorable new sandals? A professional pedicure is a luxurious treat! Colorful polish adds summer color to the toes, but if you’re worried about chipping, ask the beautician to skip the polish and buff your toenails to a high shine instead.

9. Put on sunscreen. Don’t forget – your feet can get sunburned, too! Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more when your feet are bare or if you’re wearing sandals.

Nail Strengtheners

You have weak nails. How do you strengthen them?

Unfortunately, if you have weak nails you can't permanently change them. You can, however, do things to make them stronger.

Use a nail strengthener. Many women are confused about how to use these products, so here are a few tips:

• Make sure you apply a thin coat, because you'll be applying it daily -- you don't want it to build up too much.
  
• If you're at the beginning stages of growing out your nails, use only a strengthener on your nail plate and apply it every day.
  
• If you want to apply nail enamel, use the strengthener as a base coat and as a top coat. Then continue to apply the strengthening product every day.

Remember, too much strengthening can actually make your nails brittle, so you might want to try a strengthening system. Seche Vite and Nailtique are among the brands that have several strengtheners that range from weak to potent, so you can adjust the product to fit your nails' needs.

Nail Length

People with short fingers normally have shorter nail beds, so a medium-to-short length for natural nails is best. If nail extensions are preferred, a shorter to medium length extension is best because nails that are too long on a short nail bed will not be well-balanced with the length of the nail bed.

Whether you choose natural or artificial nails, an oval shape is best to help lengthen short fingers.

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Manicure Tips

No need to pay salon prices for a manicure. Use these at-home tips to get polished in minutes!

Chipped polish and ragged hang-nails got you down? Get compliment-worthy hands at home with these tips from esthetic expert Marie Scalogna, owner of New York City-based Spa Chicks On the Go.

Remove. Take off old color with acetone polish remover on a cotton ball. (Note: Don’t use a tissue, it will fall apart and doesn’t absorb the remover well.)

Trim. Cut and file nails to your length of choice. As for shape, there are two main options: square or rounded. And neither form will chip more than the other. “I prefer a square shape,” Scalogna says. “It looks more modern.”

Soak. Rest hands in a bowl of warm water for five minutes. Add two tablespoons of a bath powder or your favorite liquid soap to soften nails. Make sure the water’s not too hot or it will dry out your hands and nails. (If you don't have time, you can skip this step.)

Soften. Apply cuticle oil or lotion on dry hands to nourish and soften rough spots.
Push. Use a cuticle or Popsicle stick to press cuticles back so they don’t get in the way of the polish. Some people prefer to cut their cuticles for aesthetic purposes, Scalogna explains, but it’s best not to do this at home. “Unless you’re a professional, you’re going to end up with cuts all along the side of your nails,” she says. “Just push them back and keep it easy.”

Scrub. Exfoliate hands with a body scrub or homemade mixture of olive oil and kosher salt or raw sugar. Scrub for two to three minutes, then wash thoroughly.

Moisturize. Dry hands and apply a rich moisturizer. Try one of our favorite moisturizers!

Polish. Apply a base coat first, then apply two thin coats of polish. Scalogna’s fave is Power Lunch by Essie, $7. Finish with a top coat if you haven’t used one yet.

For more helpful tips - click here:

http://just-for-mom.kaboose.com/your-gorgeous-manicure.html

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5 Ways to Ruin Your Nails

1. Excessive environmental dryness

Are your nails worse in the winter? If your nail condition is literally changing with the seasons, it may be due to humidity. Nails, like skin, are subject to the drying effects of the environment. Solution: If your nails are dry and raggedy in the winter use more lotion.

2. Hyper hand washing

Does your job (or hobby or home life) cause you to wash your hands on some occasions more than others? Washing your hands with soap and water can dry out nails. That could be causing an apparent seasonal change. Solution: Use a mild hand wash instead of bar soap and don’t skimp on the lotion.

3. Damage from drying solvents

Are you engaged in any activities that would expose your nails to solvents? For example, home repair projects (like painting a room or varnishing wood trim) could be seasonal activites that negatively impact the condition of your nails. Solution: make your husband do it. (That’s a suggestion from Sarah.)

4. Negative nail product usage

Do you occasionally use nail hardening products? Since you asked about several Sally Hansen products, I’m guessing you do. Those products do make nails harder but they can also make them brittle and more prone to breaking. That’s because they use a chemical called formaldehyde to cross link the keratin protein in nails. Solution: Skip the hardeners and see if it helps. (And to answer your question about why they have so many products that seem to do the same thing, we have one word: Capitalism.)

5. The horrible heartbreak of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a disease that causes your skin to become red and scaly. About half the people who suffer from this condition also have nail problems, particularly pitting, rippling, and/or splitting of the nail. Unfortunately, there is no cure for psoriasis, so you’ll have to amputate the affected fingers. (Just kidding; I wanted to see if you were still reading.) Solution: If you think psoriasis might be responsible for your nail problems, check with a dermatologist for treatment options.

http://thebeautybrains.com

Brittle Nails

• The most common nail wreckers are harsh detergents and water, which can stress nail fibers. So be sure to put rubber gloves on while you clean or do dishes.
  
  
• Also, avoid using perfume lotions that usually contain alcohol if your nails are brittle. It will only make your nails worse.
  
  
• It may be possible that your calcium intake is low, as well.
  

Maryland woman paints her entire car with nail polish